Beekeeper sets out to make Palo Alto home to stingless bees

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Brazilian insect expert Paulo Nogueira-Neto had a theory that bee colonies didn’t need various hives to thrive. So in 1950, he sent stingless bee hives all over the United States – where the Brazilian species Plebeia emerina didn’t exist. 

Practically every colony died, except for one in Palo Alto. While a Stanford professor had kept the bees alive longer than anyone else in the country, they were presumed dead after eight years. 

But it was no coincidence that over 70 years later, that same type of stingless bees were found creating new colonies across Palo Alto yards and parks. The lush local gardens and plant diversity had kept the bee colonies alive. 

Now, Davis-based beekeeper Jean-Philippe Marelli is on a mission to make Palo Alto a permanent home for the stingless bees.

Through the California Master Beekeeper program, which trains beekeepers to teach the community about the oft-misunderstood insect, Marelli decided to focus on spreading awareness about the stingless species, which are more tranquil and also important to the local ecosystem.

“I wanted people to know that the bees weren’t pests, but actually pollinators that aren’t harmful,” he said. 

The bees, a tenth of the size of honeybees, are all black with some yellow trim and typically live in tree crevices, Marelli said. Given their small size they don’t fly long distances and are often mistaken for gnats or mosquitos. 

In order to spot them, people can inspect any tree common to Palo Alto, from palms to the Japanese maple. 

“You would see little insects coming out of a single hole, and the entrance would have a dark mark sort of coming down from it,” Marelli said. 

In the winter, the bees have to expel the excess water in their hives to deter fungus and mold, creating a dark water stain. 

Hailing from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s most southern state, the bees prefer more temperate, wet weather. So, with mostly cool temperatures, distinct vegetation and an abundance of homes with irrigation systems, the bees took a liking to Palo Alto and haven’t branched out to other cities, he said.

“The conditions are ripe so they don’t need to go anywhere else,” Marelli said. “It’s really a special place for them.” 

Without creating as much honey as other bee species, Plebeia emerina became stingless due to a lack of predators, Marelli said. While the species can bite, the Palo Alto colonies are particularly mellow and their only form of defense would be to buzz around your head, he said. 

Due to their relaxed nature and ability to pollinate and even create small amounts of honey, Marelli thinks the bees would be a great educational opportunity for local children to learn about the importance of bees. 

“Because they are stingless you can basically have a colony, look into their habitat and try their honey without harm,” he said. “They’re kid-friendly, in a way.” 

So far, Marelli has hosted multiple workshops in Palo Alto, teaching people about the bees and how to create lures – empty soda bottles filled with propolis, a waxy substance that attracts bees. To speed up the bee-capturing process, he has also installed a trap-out in a Palo Alto yard, which has a hive built in front of another in order to trap them out of the tree. 

Marelli and other volunteers are also building bee houses in the Rinconada and Gamble gardens – where the bees have been spotted before. Once they are able to capture a whole colony, they will be able to split them up and create multiple. 

“By creating these bee houses, we are essentially creating more places for them to thrive,” he said.  

Amid climate change and rising temperatures, some local colonies have already disappeared, he said, so it is important to assist these bees now. 

If anyone spots a stingless bee, Marelli asks that they send him an email at jpmarelli@gmail.com, or message him on Instagram @arimubee.